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Issues

Congressman Smith has built a successful history of keeping the trust and support of the people of the 21st District as their conservative voice in Congress.

Creating Jobs

Congressman Smith knows that the government doesn’t create jobs, American ingenuity and entrepreneurs do. But the unprecedented growth of government in Washington is casting a chilling shadow on the American economy.

Small businesses, which have created 66% of all new jobs in the past 15 years, aren’t going to hire people when they are worried about paying higher taxes and facing more government mandates. With all the talk coming out of Washington, who would take that risk?

Congressman Smith believes that when Washington eliminates the looming threat of more taxes, more spending and more debt, American entrepreneurs will have an incentive to invest in their businesses and put Americans back to work.

Here are just some of the initiatives Congressman Smith has recently advanced to help get more of America back to work:

* Patent reforms signed into law that cut red tape and enable innovators to turn their ideas into job-creating businesses.

* Regulatory relief reforms that cut red tape on businesses to allow them to create more jobs.

* A system enabling employers to verify they have a legal workforce to ensure that jobs go to Americans.

A more detailed look.....

Cutting Spending

President Obama came into office promising to cut the deficit in half, to reduce taxes, and to not expand the size of the government. Instead, the deficit has doubled, with no reversal in the spending spree in sight.

That's why Congressman Smith recently sponsored a constitutional amendment to balance the budget. With 49 of the nation's 50 states having this requirement in their respective constitutions, Lamar Smith feels strongly that Uncle Sam should play by the same rules. Congressman Smith's balanced budget amendment passed in the House, but fell short of the two-thirds needed for amendments to advance due to strong Democrat opposition. Despite this roadblock, Congressman Smith will keep working to get this amendment through Congress and to the states for ratification.

Health Care

The American people have had enough of the government trying to take over health care and Congressman Smith stands with the American people. We’ve all had enough of the 2,000-page bills, the trillion-dollar price tags, the backdoor deals, the cuts to Medicare, the higher premiums, and the trampling of the doctor-patient relationship.

That’s why Congressman Smith voted more than 30 times to repeal all or parts of ObamaCare and will continue working to dismantle this nationalized healthcare mistake piece by misguided piece.

Congressman Smith believes that the President and the Democrats in Congress need to work with Republicans in good faith to develop free-market reforms to make high-quality health care more affordable and accessible.

Innovation

As Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, Congressman Smith works hard to ensure America stays at the forefront of research and development efforts, technological advances, and the exploration of space.

Constitution

As a member and former chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Smith takes very seriously his obligation to uphold and defend the Constitution.

It's a responsibility spelled out in the very oath of office he and all member of Congress give:

"I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter. So help me God."

As a daily visual enforcer of this duty, Congressman Smith keeps in his office the signature of James Madison, primary author and most ardent champion of the Constitution.

Taxes

Congressman Smith supports low taxes because he believes that Americans, not the federal government, know best how to spend their money.

He also thinks that the burden to close the budget deficit should fall on the federal government, not the American people. The government is spending two dollars for every one dollar it takes in, which is irresponsible. Taxes and runaway spending need to be restrained to reduce the deficit and balance the budget.

National Security

One of the adverse side effects of a big government agenda is that when the government intrudes in areas where it does not belong, it neglects its primary responsibilities like national security.

As a member of the Homeland Security Committee, Congressman Smith thinks that the government needs to stop treating terrorists like citizens and stop treating citizens like terrorists. In Congress, he has fought the closure of the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay and the transfer of dangerous terrorists to our shores.

Border Security

Border security is another area neglected by the Obama Administration and Democrats in Congress. Congressman Smith believes that the United States has every right to secure its borders. The enforcement of immigration laws is the key to achieving this. It is a national security issue as well as an economic issue, especially with millions of American citizens and legal immigrants out of work.

America is a nation of immigrants, and it's also a nation built on the rule of law. There is a polar difference between legal immigration, and illegal immigration,

Those who are looking for work should not have to compete against people who have entered the country illegally. As a member of the Homeland Security Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Smith has long supported the strong enforcement of our border security laws. The flood of illegal immigration across our borders lowers wages for hard-working Americans and threatens our national security. He will continue to work to keep our borders secure.

Education

Providing a quality education is the key to our future prosperity. Math and science education are particularly important to our high-tech-driven economy.Equal access to education is the best way to reduce social inequality.

In the 21st District, we are fortunate to have good public and private schools and colleges.